Re-election letter with commentary from a neighbor

Below is a letter passed along from a neighbor who wishes to remain anonymous because he/she is afraid of retribution:


A re election letter received with some comments:
My name is XXXX XXXX and I am running for re-election to the board. Over the past three years I have served as Vice President for XXXX Board of Managers and the Chair of the Building Committee. (So what does this actually mean? Figure head??)
My tenure on the board has involved an on-going battle between old regimes and new visions (aren't we a little too old for high school bs? If you have to keep saying this bs then you are part of the problem) but I am proud to report that we were instrumental in making the following building improvements with a maintenance reduction in the 2nd year and no surcharges throughout the 3 years. (then there is the question of the illusive mortgage and where those funds came/went)

Completed the following building renovations and upgrades:

· Replaced 6 major air conditioning units on 4th and 44th floors (this was a major expense that was not an individual accomplishment - this is to the credit of the super who maintains these items)
· Renovated bike/storage room with a major clean up and a brand new look (also closed this off to the owners by implementing a fee to use the space - which is part of the common charges and against the by laws)
· Redesigned and upgraded front desk systems (needless to say way over budget)
· Replaced Compactor and repaired compactor room floor (this was something that is to the credit of the super who negotiated the pricing and is responsible for the mainatainance and just reports these items to the board)
· Upgraded the gym equipment with state of the art Cybex machines (at what costs since this is a lease and the building doesn't own it - it's a liability on the books)
· Purchased new beautiful out door furniture for 44th floor terraces and pool area (ummmm white cushions in soooty NY to be stained with tanning oil? really smart - not!)
· Created "teen room" with a pool table, ping pong and Wii equipment (she had nothing to do with this b/c she was not part of the Children's Committee. BTW the pool table and ping pong were already there. This was all passed with the previous board under a different pres)
· Started a new building tradition with very well attended holiday parties, Halloween parties and wine tastings (halloween parties and holiday parties were always part of the building not new with this board)
· Enhanced children’s playroom with new furniture and toys (this only recently happened in time for these elections - what happened during the other two years she was on the board???)
· Negotiated a new plant maintenance contract including the redesign of inside and outside plants on 44th, 4th floors and out door sections on 37th street and continuing the weekly front desk fresh flower arrangement at a reduced cost (also a reduced look of flowers - they look emaciated and barren - a single stalk for a flower is not a flower arrangement.)
· Identified a new on-site dry cleaning service and negotiated an improved contract with better prices and more services (the lease was up so contract negotiations were just par for the course)

Introduced the following process improvements to improve building management:

· Picked a new gym management company and negotiated a contract with improved hours, better classes, new social events and increased service (club traffic has increased by 40% the last 2 years)(what are the costs to the building for all of this? they also have really bad attitudes since they are all so young)
· Selected an independent accounting firm with condo/coop expertise to audit building financials (then why aren't the financials published for last year if they are so good??)
· Renewed the building management contract with Cooper Square at a 3 year favorable cost (was there a bidding process? what other vendors were reviewed?)
· Installed finger recognition system outside children's playroom to better monitor access and deter uninvited guests (which doesn't work all the time and porters have to be pulled from their jobs in order to open the door to residents)
· Improved communication between Cooper Square our building management and XXXXXX XXXXXX our super with bi-monthly meetings, invoice reviews (identifying to at least a dozen redundant invoices) and project updates (what about the scheduling of employees - who is responsible for this and why are there soo many new faces?)
· Created a capital improvement master plan to help prioritize and budget projects (why not share this with all of the owners so we know when we will get smacked with assessments)
· Changed the building's accounting approach to the accrual method to better manage building operating funds (as long as the reserve fund is fair game to use in the operating fund - and not be accountable)
· Increased efficiency and reduced employee overtime pay with standardized work shifts and improved work schedules (then why are there so many changing faces?)
· Defined roles and responsibilities for each of the employee roles - handy man, concierge, doorman and hallman
· Initiated employee yearly reviews, performance based bonuses and quarterly staff meetings (who determines this? How much is this costing us?)

Finally we are in the process of finishing the following projects hopefully before the end of the year:

· Upgrading 44th floor and lobby furniture upholstery with elegant and sturdy new fabrics. (at what costs and was this bid with multiple vendors)
· Installing a new package tracking system with a new screen in the mail room to increase timely delivery (this is a major security concern to be in a public area - what are we paying the doormen and conceirges for?)
· Providing Verizon FIOS access (we don't have this yet - so technically you are incorrect in saying this is provided)

During the past 3 years I have had the opportunity to renegotiate contracts (don't you mean letting the management company do this?), standardize processes and promote a more accountable management style (you mean the rudeness and unattentiveness to the owners from the management company unless you are on the board?) at the XXXX. In the process I fought to change old approaches, self-serving directives and dated thinking. My goal if re-elected will be to continue to identify and facilitate building development projects and make all the improvements in building management permanent and ingrained in the XXXX's culture. (how about improving your relationship with the staff instead of bossing them around - they are afraid of you)

IMO:
Do you think people who play on things of the past should be reelected? We are not in high school and this is our hard earned money. Having a select few run the building is not the way to go.
Our building needs fresh blood. Get new people in - this shouldn't be a career. Familiarity breeds contempt and corruption